Abstract:
This paper reports on a study which explores the experiences of same-sex attracted and gender diverse (SSAGD) parents with the primary schools that their children attend. Existing literature is clear that positive school-family relationships play an important role in children's school and life success, and thus the ways in which schools engage and partner with parents play a pivotal role in the experience of schooling for young children, their parents and families. For SSAGD parents, broader social and political complexities, including policy, constructions of family, legislation, and media, influence the ways in which schools engage with and respond to gender and sexual diversity within schools. This study therefore calls on a narrative approach to consider the enablements and constraints reported by SSAGD parents as they engage within primary school contexts. Data were collected through qualitative active semi-structured interviews that requested the participants share narratives of engagement. A queer theoretical lens forms the foundation of the conceptual framework along with Nancy Fraser's three-dimensional theory of social justice and politics of belonging. Preliminary findings outlining SSAGD parents' accounts of their experiences in primary schools within the current social and politically complex environment are presented.